Boozed-up man punched his partner after she scratched his face

A boozed-up reveller punched his partner in the face after she had woken in the night and scratched his face following concerns about texts on his phone from another woman.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on October 5 how Kieran Lee King, 26, of Firs Avenue, Alfreton, initially reacted by putting his hands around his partner’s throat to push her away but then went too far by punching her in the face.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam said: “The defendant accepts he had a lot to drink and the complainant had been drinking too and was also drunk.

“They came home and fell asleep on the sofa in the early hours and he woke to find her screaming and shouting and he said he suffered scratches to his face.”

The defendant accepted putting his hands around his partner’s throat to push her away, according to Mrs Haslam, and he had punched her afterwards when he was not in any immediate danger and he cut her lip.

King pleaded guilty to the assault after the incident on September 17.

Defence solicitor Pari Seeley said: “Both parties were in drink. They had been out all day drinking and alcohol was an influence.

“There is no other incident on the record between them and the complainant agrees there was a problem between them and she does not want a restraining order.

“It was something to do with texts on his phone from another woman. She was shouting at him when she woke and clawed at his face.

“He grabbed her around the throat to stop her and there was a single punch to the face brought on by this initial attack and the drink.

“Both parties were in the wrong but Mr King has accepted he’s gone that step too far.”

Magistrates sentenced King to eight weeks of custody suspended for 12 months with an eight-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.